Unfortunately I have to start this review on a bum note. This foundation caked. And it caked a lot.

In fairness, it’s highly possible that this happened because I never managed to apply the stuff very well.

After all, the formula itself isn’t thick and cakey. It actually does that magical thing of mixing great coverage with not feeling too thick and mask-like on your skin. Which is always nice – especially in summer.

Nevertheless, it just didn’t look that great on my face. I think that had a lot to do with how I applied it – and perhaps the shade range, too.

Still, I’m a firm believer that foundations should be idiot proof, and that good foundations should be immune to the effects of cheap brushes and a hamfisted technique. Granted, it’s always going to look better with a better brush, but still. I expected more from you, Clinique.

As for the lasting power on this stuff, it’s decent. It’s certainly better than the average foundation you’d pick off the shelf. It lasts well past lunch, which makes it a decent contender in my book – although it doesn’t quite keep up with Double Wear.

Even though I vetoed this stuff as a foundation, I was amazed by how well it worked as a concealer. Because of the lasting power, I started patting my sample on as a concealer on spotty days, and was really impressed! It conceals the worst zits for hours on end.

As a long-wear foundation, I’d pick Clarins or Double Wear before this any day. But as a concealer, this stuff is a real winner. Perhaps that’s why they marketed it as a Concealer/Foundation in the first place?

So here we go. Here is the first foundation I’m testing for summer wearability this week. Clarins Everlasting Foundation + is more of a reformulation than a new-for-2015 contender to the long wear foundation market, but they’ve given it a new name (well, added a ‘+’ onto the old one), a special new formula, and a launch all of its own, so I think it probably still counts.

Anyway, on to the review. Put simply: I like this foundation. The finish is silky and glowy, and it looks much more like skin than long wear foundation usually does – other contenders tend to have a more thick, matte consistency.

As for the actual coverage, it’s pretty good too. On areas where I don’t have spots – only discolouration – it evens out my skin tone and makes it all look pretty perfect.

Where spots are concerned it tends to wear off by the end of the day, which is disappointing – but that’s partly because I struggled to neutralise their angry red colour first thing in the morning, too. It also doesn’t help that this foundation doesn’t adhere very well to lumps and bumps, generally speaking. Including my nose.

That said, I found the coverage to be much more buildable when I switched from a beauty blender to a brush. The foundation stuck to itself – and my spots – much better, without resulting in a cakey finish. So that’s a big thumbs up.

Overall I’d say that the lasting power of this isn’t quite as good as that of Estée Lauder’s Double Wear (there’s about an hour or so in it) but in terms of consistency it’s a very good contender. There’s no threat of caking with the Clarins version, and where Double Wear can look chalky at times, Everlasting Foundation + really does look like skin, only with a much better texture. For summer, where we mostly favor a more natural look, this is perfect.

Finally, for all those who want great coverage without feeling like they’re wearing a mask, this is seriously good. Even in the sweltering heat of a crowded Metrolink carriage, your skin feels like it can breathe. Even if you can’t. Which is ace.

Let me just say at this point: with oily skin and acne issues, I’ve been a loyal member of the Double Wear brigade for years now. So far, I’ve not found anything that lasts as long or covers as well. But that doesn’t mean I’m not keen to find a substitute. After all, it does get a bit cakey sometimes.

I tried guys. I really tried to like drugstore eyeliner. After swatching about ten different options on the back of my hand in Boots, the Soap and Glory Supercat Liner seemed the best choice for both colour and staying power. So I spent a mere £6, and used it every day for two months.

Every time I sweep the felt-tip-style applicator over my eyelid, only a certain amount of product actually goes on. On either side of the felt tip there are two streams of black liner, and in the middle, which should also be black, there lies only flesh-toned disappointment.

In other words, the stuff doesn’t apply properly. Swatch it on paper, your arm, or the back of your hand and it looks fantastic. But try to apply it to an oily pair of eyelids and you’ll struggle. It sort of wipes itself off as it applies, and waiting for it to dry before adding another coat doesn’t really solve the problem either.

See the gap in the pigment? Annoying.

Pigment-wise, it’s also not perfect. It looks really impressive swatched on paper and on the back of my hand – a rich, pure black – but as soon as it goes onto my eyelids it becomes more of a watercolour-y shade. I think it’s the oil that spreads the pigment out – or perhaps some leftover eye cream. Either way, it doesn’t look as good as my in-store swatch suggested it would. Which is a shame.

All those complaints aside, this isn’t a bad high street eyeliner. I often find that high street liners have quite limp, flimsy applicators, which make applying eyeliner very difficult for beginners. Soap and Glory’s offering, by contrast, is straight, firm, and easy to use – it’s just like drawing on your eyeliner with a felt tip pen.

Likewise, despite my complaints, this formula is quite good. I’ve tried Collection and Rimmel liquid liners before, and in both cases the formula was so cheap and nasty it made my eyelids burn a bit. Bleurgh. I had no such stinging while I waited for Soap and Glory’s formula to dry, so that’s a plus.

So I guess the conclusion is: if you want to buy this eyeliner, make sure your eye cream has fully sunk in before you apply it. And maybe check your lids for oil. However, if you’ve got normal to dry skin, you’re onto a winner with this one.